KIRUNA STADEN


Kiruna was a setting of a couple of FIRST TIME IN OUR LIVE experiences. Like sauna-rolling in the snow. We have never walked in the snow naked before.

We have never had a heart shape sandwiches before Kiruna. It made the entrance of the dinner at Anders´& Claudia´s place spacial. Apart from the midnightsun view from their apartment.

Anders Lappish winter shoes. They are not a tourist souvenir, but a genuine pair of shoes to walk on snow and ice he used as a child.

It´s a first time we have seen the sami art. I have only had a chance to see it in the books and albums before.

It´s like an embroidery of reindeer bone into the wood base. Lovely incrustinations.

sami art depicts their every day routines and events like bear hunting, reindeer keeping etc

The mine is ruling over the city- phisicaly and symbolicaly. The mine approached the city so much, as it became dangerous and the urgency to MOVE the city appeared. Actually, Kiruna will not be the first or the only town in the world to be moved. Other places around the mine, like Gällivare, have already started the evacuation. Kiruna, however, as we were explained, was clever enough to advertise it very loudly in the world.

This photo was taken from Anders and Claudia´s apartment during our dinner. The one below- Kiruna in its winter robe, is a big panoramic photo we found inside the Town Hall.

Anders dedicated a whole afternoon to show us the town. The first place he took us was a TOWN HALL with its modern tower:

En del tycker

att det ser ut som en byggnadställning

eller ett torn

som aldring blev färdigt

ser de då inte

hur det sträcker sin hals

solt som en urtidsödla

mot himlen?
Some think it looks like a scaffolding or a tower which has not been finished
dont´they see how it stretches out his neck like a dinosour towards the sun?
( poema de Kerstin Bergström)

Town Hall is dangerously overlooking the mind gap and therefore it will be one of the first buildings which will be moved. It´s door is decoration with magnificent sami art.

It is a perfect communion between modern architecture and Lappish traditional art.

We were amazed by the spacious interior. A solid structure of wood and cement. Perfect floor and ambiance for a big milonga one day. Anders has already a vision.

Anders and Victor contemplate the interior.

It´s hard for us to imagine the long winter and darkness in Kiruna.

When I was looking at this painting in Monikas and Anders apartment I had this beautiful poem of Kerstin Bergström in mind:

Trettio grader kallt

klart och stilla

Fjällen ofattbart nära
I alla skorstenar blommar röken
som vita hyacinter
Isklockorna spelar
i tornet

This is how the mine slope went streight under the town of Kiruna:

With those who dare to follow us to the ´end of the world ´to dance tango: our faithful student Thomas from Umeå and Britt from Stockholm, at the milonga in Kiruna. They were meant to surprise us, but we ´discovered ´them in the same train, same wagon as we were on the train Stockholm-Kiruna.

Another MUST in Kiruna is a Church. Kirunas kyrka.

.... Nu sover de tolv skulpturerna

på kyrkan

sin vintersömn

Nu sover de tolv skulpturerna

tills Ljuset

kommer tillbaka

Now sleep the twelve sculptures on the church

its winter sleep

Now sleep the twelve sculptures until light comes back

Another Kiruna´s feature is a CHURCH, a wonderful wooden church, one of the most beautiful churches we have ever seen.

The mine seen from the Town Hall:

Another charming local habit we witnessed was Ander' s cigarette break outside, on the veranda, with the snow background. 5-10 min outside, with the freezing cold. It must do good for your health...brrrrr...
Jag lät en trädgårdsstol
stå kvar ute på balkongen
av gammal vana
för att förnedra sommaren
men vintern överlistade mig
och formade en mjuk vit gestalt
med rund mage och armar som vilar
värdigt på armstöden

Varje kväll innan jag drar för
de tjocka röda gardinerna för att stänga ute
draget från balkongdörrarna
säger jag godnatt till snödamen ute på balkongen
och hon nickar vänligt tillbaka

Majsnö

Nar det snöar över Staden

i maj

kan jag for en stund låtsas att vintern återvänt

jag står alldeles stilla

och lyssnar

Nar det snär över Staden i maj

kan jag höra varje snöflinga falla

AND.... FIRST TIME ICE HOTEL. FIRST TIME giving tango classes in Ice Hotel Conference Centre!

Monika and Anders are our hope for Argentinean Tango in Kiruna. What a potential!

Our hope is to have the FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE OF AURORA BOREAL- NORTHERN LIGHTS- Norsken, in Lappland soon!

När jag var liten
sydd min moster en klänning åt mig
den var mörkt blå med röda vågiga band
nedtill på den vida kjolen

I natt hade himlen
en likadan mörkt blå klänning
som norrskenet prytt
med dansande röda band
och runt fullmånen lyste
en gulgrön ring av avund

Another wish? Lapland in the summer.

Jukkasjärvi church visit was a delight on a sunny snowy May day....

Hard to imagine that our whole week in Kiruna was the white snow and blue skies!

A day was inviting for a walk on the bank and the frozen Torne river. Here is Monika, Anders and Victor enjoying the Northern Sun. Almost midnightsun period.

Colourful houses ( my falu röda också) on the other side of the river, against the mountain range:

The Jukkasjärvi church inside. The impressive organs adorned with sami art:

The main altar paiting is something I have seen before!